Sony has revealed that it's looking to bring some of its major IPs to the mobile space. As part of a corporate strategy meeting, PlayStation head Jim Ryan said the mobile gaming space could "complement" AAA and live-service PlayStation games.
What PlayStation IPs could be coming to mobile?
In the presentation, Jim Ryan said Sony is currently "exploring the mobile market with some wonderful PlayStation franchises". He also makes reference to a "huge catalog of diverse first-party IP" that could transition to mobile gaming and act as a complementary service to major console launches. While he doesn't specify which franchises could be getting this treatment, Sony's upcoming slate of first-party PS5 games - which includes Horizon Forbidden West, Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart, and God of War: Ragnarok - could provide a clue. Sony CEO Kenichiro Yoshida also says the company will continue to focus on "deploying PlayStation's proprietary IP to mobile as well".
What is this about PlayStation AI in Gaming?
There's also some exciting stuff in the strategy presentation about artificial intelligence. According to Yoshida, Sony's artificial intelligence division has "begun a collaboration with PlayStation" aiming to make gaming experiences more enjoyable for players. This collaboration entails what Sony is calling "Game AI Agents" which are intended to act as players' "in-game opponent[s] or collaboration partner[s]". That means you could soon be seeing much better AI in your non-player companions or opponents in games.
PlayStation Plus and PlayStation Network Continuing to Grow
Yoshida also pointed to PlayStation Plus growth, which has been pretty impressive for Sony. He calls PSN "the biggest achievement in the DTC (direct to consumer) space" and points to the exponential increase in PS Plus subscribers since the launch of the PS4. According to Yoshida's presentation, since September 2014, the number of PlayStation Plus subscribers has grown from 7.9 million to a pretty staggering 47.6 million. Yoshida also says that overall PSN sales increased "almost tenfold" in the last fiscal year when compared to the 2013-14 fiscal year, which saw the launch of the last-gen PlayStation 4 console. If you're one of the 48 million people subscribed to PS Plus, don't forget you can grab your copy of Capcom Arcade Stadium: Ghosts 'n Goblins, which was just announced for subscribers at no extra cost.
If you want to check out the full Sony presentation, you can do so right here. It's chock-full of nerdy stats about Sony as a company, and while only a portion of it pertains to the gaming space, there's still plenty of fun info in there about the company's plans for the future. Some of it might seem a little corporate - "fill the world with emotion" especially - but it's compelling reading nonetheless. We'll bring you more about future Sony mobile gaming plans as soon as we get it.
What PlayStation IP would you like to see make the jump to mobile? Let us know in the comments below!
